As Mother wheels Emily to the separate car they’re taking back home—Emily lets her do this sometimes, even if the chair is electric—Emily gives me a go-get-her-bro look. Hazel sees this and looks between us in confusion, giving my arm a little squeeze. I swallow about a thousand nerves. I don’t know why I’m so nervous, though. Or maybe that’s a blood-red lie. Maybe it’s because what I’m going to do this afternoon will make us, on some level, official.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Hazel asks. “Everybody’s acting all weird. Is it a good thing? Carlo, you better not be about to take me into the woods and make it so I meet with an ‘unfortunate accident’ or whatever you guys say.”
“Don’t joke about that,” I say, leading her toward the car where Ubert is waiting.
“Sir, yes, sir!” she replies. “Se
